Artificial hand.



1/ I .www i 1 wm. $0. i... ...d

v. 0 L w w .m m 3 ,A D ,a ,Y m mw A 7l -v| Y P m D. w Nw Q L wm mw mw .J H A Z., M m mmm -Nw mw wm. @P- Tl. N 'Hl' A. M M m y ,l I l L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

JAooB H INZ, JR., oF WE1-'remita soUTH DAKOTA.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

`Application filed April To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JACOB HINz, Jr., a 'citizen of the United States, residing at White Lake, in the county of Aurora and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and useful Artificial Hand, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an artificial hand for the use of those persons who have lost by accident or otherwise their natural hand but not the entire fore-arm.

The object of the invention is to improve generally the construction of artificial hands; to provide an articulated lever therefor to serve as a thumb which may be kept normally closed against the hand and opened at will or which may be held in an open position and closed when desired; to provide means for securely locking the thumb lever in closed position against the hand;and for other novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one side of the artificial hand. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side.

Similar numerals of reference' indicate the same parts on all the gures. 4

'The artificial hand of the present invention comprises the hand proper 1 forearm socket 2, elbow pad 3 and upper armband 4, the latter consisting o'f a broad strip of leather 5 sufficiently long to embrace the arm and secured thereto 'by a plurality of straps G on one end fastened to buckles 7 on the opposite end, as clearly shown on the drawing. Other` fastening devices may be used if desired, but straps and buckles have proven very satisfactory and are preferred,

. Connected to the arm band 4 in a convenient position by links 8 and 9 is the-,elbow pad 3 also made of ,leather by preference; narrow strips l0 and 11 extend Ilink 17 for av purpose hereinafter described.

The forearm socket 2 is made on a skeleton metal frame comprising a longitudinal member 1.8 integral with or rigidly attached to an approximately circular end plate 19 that forms the lower or wrist end of the socket 2. At the upper and lower ends of themember 1S are oppositely extending transverse metal bands 20 and 21 respectively, which are shaped to conform substantially to the transverse curvature of the forearm.

l 0n the opposite side of the socket 2 is a second longitudinal member 22 hinged to a lug 23 on the 'end plate Specification of Letters Patent.

15,1907. Serial No. 368,238-

'Pateated July 3o, 1907.

19, provided with transverse curved metal bands 24 lining sheet 26 of leather or other suitable material, extending the-full length of the socket, and around three sides thereof. A second lining sheet 27 riveted to the metal bands 24, 25 and of equal len'gth,-covers the remaining side of the socket 2 and overlaps the edges of the sheet 26. The edges vof the sheet 27 are provided with eyelets 28 or lacing hooks for a lace 29, by means ofwhich the edges of the sheet are drawn toward each other and the socket 2 fastened to the stump of the wearers forearm. The lower end ot' the cover sheet 27 below the metal band 21 is a little wider than that .portion immediately above it and is drawn together by a separate lacing 30.

Projecting forwardly from the end plate 19 is a stem 31, rigidly attached to saidplate, its outer end 32 being fiattened and crooked in the semblance of a partially parallel fingers 33. The upper portion of the stem 31 near the 'plate 19 is screwthreaded at 34 and provided with a circular nut 35 milled on its edge, which may be rotated by the fingers. Extending through a slot 36 in the stem 31 immediately below the hand 32, is a thumb 37 articulated on the stem by a pin 38 and long enough to pass when closed between the fingers 33. The opposite end of the thumb 37 has pivoted thereto one end of a connecting link 39, to-which is pivoted in turn a short straight bar 40, extending back on one side of the socket 2 to near the metal band 21, at which point is a loop 41, pivoted to the bar 40,` through which loop a strap 42 runs. In place of the loop 41 aroller may be substituted in a manner well understood. One end of the strap 42 is connected to a coil spring 43 attached to the upper metal band 24; its opposite end is adj ustably secured to a buckle 44 on the elbow cap 3.

Below the thumb 37 is a short lever 45 fulcrumed Within the slot`3G in the stom 3l; one ond of said lever is pivoted to thc connecting link 39 intermediate thc ends, while at the opposite end, and close to the stom 31, is jonrnaled a small friction wheel 46. A second short bar 47, on.r the opposite side of the stem 3] from the bar40, is pivotcd to a bracket 4S rigidly attached to the journal of thi` friction whcol 4o. A loop 49, or roller, on the upper ond of tho bar 47 receives a strap 50 similar to the strap 42, to one end of which is hooked a coiled spring 51 attached to the upper metal' band 20. The other end of the strap is ad justably connected to a buckhA 52, attached to the link '17 on the arm band 4 heretofore described. A guide 53 is fastened to the metal band 24 under which the Astrap 50 passes to the buckle 52 for the purpose of keeping the strap close to the-side of sockot 2. A similar guide 54 for the strap i 42 is placed on the metal band 20. Surrounding the flexed hand and at its extreme end, divided into two and 25. Riveted to the transverse bands 21, 22 is a,

and through the connections shown closes the thumb.

v as shown in the drawing.

is loosened and the socket opened, the member 22 it Sei-,eas straight rods 40 and i7 are spiral springs 55 and 56 relHaving thus described the invention what is claimed spectively, which boar at one end against pins 57 and isz f 1. .An artii'lciai hand comprising a projecting' therefrom, ir thumb articulated to said hand, two rods connected to said thumb, a spring acting on 'each rod, one spring tending to hold said thumb open and the other to hold it closed against the hand,` and. independent meuns for operating each ot said rods against' the tension of its spring.

2. An artiilclal hund comprising a stump socket, an upper nrm` band and a hand rigidly attached to said socket, :1 thumb articulated to said hand, means attached to the arm band for positively opening said thumb, separate means also attached to the arm bund for positively closing said thumb on the hand, n spring attached to the opening means and another spring attached to the closing means, each spring tending to act in opposition to the respective opening und closing means.

3. An artificial hand, having a socket for the nrm stump formed of a two part skeleton trarne hinged together, euch part being separately lined, the lining of one part overlapping that fastening the edges of the overlapping part.

4. An artificial hand having a socket, a stem projecting therefrom threaded at its upper end and provided with n crooked lowel end forming a hand, a thumb lever nriicu lated to saidste'm, means for opening and closing said devel', and ri hand nut on said threaded portion of the stein adapted to lock said thumb in closed position.

5. An artiiciai handhaving u stump socket, :L stem 4projecting trom-said socket andy rigidly attached thereto, said sternv having a 'screw thread thereon, u'crooked outer end and a slotted portion between said thread and crooked portion. a thumb lever extending through said slot sind articulated to vsaid stem, a thumb lever joinedthereto by a connecting link, a second lever extending through said slot and connected at one end 'to said link and at ythe other end to alsecond draw rod. 'independent mean'sor operating euch draw rod, and ya nut on the threaded portion or said stem.

6. An artificial hand comprising a upper arm bund, a stern projecting from the lower end 'of said socket and having a crooked end separated intoiingers, a lever or thumb articulated to said stem and adapt-A 58 in the rods 40 and 47, and at the other end against a lat cross bar 59 securely attached to the stem 3l at its junction with the end plate i9 through which said rods 40 and 47 pass and are guided thereby.4 The rods 40 ande? are provided with a. plurality of periorations so that the -pins 57, 58 may be changed to vary .the tension oi the spiral springs.

When the thumb is to remain normally in the closed position, the spring 56 will bear against the cross bar 59,. but the spring 55 will be held out oiconnection with-said bar by a pin 60 placed in a hole in the rod 40 When the conditions'are reversed and the thumb is to remainopen, thespring 55 vWill press against the cross bar 59 and the spring 56 held out oi contact therewith by a pin.4 v

The' under suriaceo the hand 32 is preferably lined with a piece of leather 61 to afford a better holding surface', and to atiord a better grip to the lingers 33 their inner surfaces are provided with cross ribs and grooves G2. I y

lWhen the invention is to be applied, the lacing 29 will be remembered having a hinge connection with the end plate. The stump ot the forearm is "then' placed in the socket and securely fastened by the lacL ing 29 and the leather band 4 strapped'around the` upper arm, vcare being taken that the pad 3 ycornes beneath the elbow. Now by straightening the arm the strap draws the short bar vi7 upwardly which, through the connections described, causes the thumb 37 to open for the purpose o grasping some article; then by slightly bending the'elbow the thumb closes and securely holds Whatever may have been picked up.l The spring 56 tending at all times to close the thumb While the'spring 5l holds the strap 50 alWaysundei-tenion. Should the spring be placed in operation and the spring 56 prevented from pressing :on the bar59. The thumb will remain normally open and may b'eclosed by 4bending the elbow which movement draws on the'strap 42,

upper band tor positively opening the thumb lever, a second means attached to said upper band for positively closing said thumb lever, and a separate resilient means for acting in contrary direction to each positively operat4 .ingmeans in testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto axed m si nature in the resence of two When it is' desired to keep the thumb closed irrespecwimesse. y g p tive the position of the arm, the nut 35 isl screwed -out- Wardiy on the stern 3l until it bears against the leve'r4 45 which in turn presses against the closed thumb as represented in Fig. 2.

JACOB "Hinz, Jn.

Witnesses: l V- A. HJ. Gnonon,

M.- McMlLnAu.

'ot the other' part and a lacing ,for

draw rod for closing said stump socket, n hand 50 stump socket.. an

ed tti-pass between said lingers, means connected to the. I 

